A French composer born August 3, 1952 in Paris.
A composer and pianist, and holder of a master’s degree in philosophy, Denis Levaillant is distinctively eclectic. Passionately fond of dance, jazz, the circus, he particularly likes to get to grips with other artistic forms and has collaborated, notably, with choreographers such as Dominique Bagouet, and stage directors such as Alain Françon. In 1981 he founded the Bleu 17 company and became committed to live production. In 1995 he founded, with Frédéric Leibovitz, the collection ‘Cabinet de musique généraliste’, of which he directs the discographic production. Denis Levaillant blends performance, composition and improvisation, art and traditional music. His compositions cover all genres, ballet, opera, radiophonic and electro-acoustic music, and are written for all groupings, from soloist to symphony orchestra. Inspired by his participation in the digital treatment of sound at INA, he applies these new techniques to instrumental writing. He also undertook research into harmony and vocal polyphony before devoting himself, in the 1990s, to symphonic writing. His compositions include Circus Virus (1973), Le Baigneur (1976), Douze mouvements (1980), Les Pierres noires (1984), O.P.A. Mia (1987/1989), Sept Prières (1993), Écho de Narcisse (1995), Paysages de conte (1998), La Petite danseuse (2002), L'opéra de la lune (2005), Images-Études (2008).
